THE Indian Army is getting new indigenously designed and developed anti-personnel and anti-tank mines which would act as the first line of defence against any attempt by adversaries on the China and Pakistan border to step on the Indian soil. “Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers getting a new set of anti-personnel and anti-tank mines for acting as the first line of defence against enemy infantry and armoured columns or terrorist trying to infiltrate into own territory,” Indian Army officials told ANI. The anti-tank and anti-personnel mines are part of a display here where the Corps of Engineers is showcasing the indigenous equipment that has been inducted into the Army by it for carrying out operations against the enemy and defending its own areas. “Indian Army is going to induct 7 lakh indigenously developed ‘Nipun’ anti-personnel mines which carry a potent mix of RDX,” an Army officer said.

 

He said the mine has been developed by an Indian firm in partnership with the DRDO. For taking care of the enemy tank regiments, the corps of engineers is carrying out trials of the Vibhav and Vishal next generation made in India anti-tank mines. These highly effective mines have been developed for the Indian Army by DRDO, and are at an advanced stage of user trials. The new anti-tank mines have greater stopping power against enemy tanks due to their advanced design and sensors, Army officials said. Prachand, Ulka and Parth are also some of the new mines that are coming up for induction into the services in the near future, the sources said.

 

The first set of indigenously-developed next-generation Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle (AERV) was inducted into the Corps of Engineers of the Army on Tuesday, a defence release said. Army chief General M M Naravane inducted the vehicles and flagged them off in a ceremony at the Bombay Engineer Group (BEG) at Khadki near here. The system has been designed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and manufactured by Ordnance Factory Medak & Bharat Electronics Limited, Pune.